Armondo’s Cafe Italiano

Went for dinner last night and had another pleasant dining experience. Had 3 glasses of iced tea, the calbrase pizza, a caesar salad and the pesto/​cherry tomato brushetta. All were fresh and tasty, especially the croutons in the caesar salad.
Hubby and I will definitely be coming back for happy hour soon — $ 1 brushetta and half-​priced bottles of wine? Yes, please!
Parking is available on the street and service is decent. Menu can be pretty limited but both times I’ve managed to find something I was in the mood for and turned out to be delish. Prices are average ($ 8 — 30 for a main entrée) and I like the option of ordering a small or large portion of the dish.

My boyfriend took me there to celebrate an occasion and all I can say was WOW!
Service: Great waiter and hostess
Food: Amazing good. Portions are big and the flavor, it has no words. We went for the restaurant week, and I asked if their portions are smaller than the regular menu, and they were NOT. I ordered the chicken diavolo (half chicken and an amazing salad), and my bf ordered the seafood risotto (lots of seafood). Dessert: I ordered the spumante (chocolate, pistachio (lots of it) and cherry, and bf ordered strawberry mascarpone…
Price: very fair for the amount of food it came
Ambiance: great for dinner w/​friends or a nice date

Renton has a long and rich Italian heritage and I can’t imagine old downtown without at least one Italian restaurant. I grew up here and the Italian way of cooking ran deep in our family and both my Grandmother and Mom were excellent at it. Although, we weren’t officially Italian (my Great Grandmother married into the Delaurenti family in Newcastle around 1917) we knew all of the families in the area.
Armondo’s has changed a lot over the years. I remember when it started out in the mid 1980’s as a pizza place. It’s been fun to watch them change and grow. Now with the addition of Executive Chef Tom Small, I see yet another new direction and I like it. More local and more seasonal. I love the fact they partner with local farms, schools, the Renton Farmers Market, and Washington wine makers.
I’ve been in a few times just recently for lunch and dinner and was very pleased. The service as always is very helpful, warm and friendly. I’m looking foward to dinning my way through the Spring Menu. Check out Tom’s new Chef’s Blog on the website. He’s posting recipes and there’s a video teaser for the new cooking show.

Armondo’s focuses on fresh, local food, and their seasonal menu alllows creative and unique cuisine that can be found no where else in Renton. Their wine list is unrivaled in the city and their Chef is bringing ideas and concepts to Renton dining that revolutionize the way we see simple Italian fare. If you love simple, seasonal, local, and great food, you need to spend an evening here.
Also, take a look at their Chef’s blog:

I love their Crème Brulee.
The service is really good.
They say that they are family friendly, but they aren’t always the best with kids. My kids love to be a part of the experience, from ordering for themselves to asking for refills, I believe that this helps kids with communication skills, and how to be friendly nice kids: Sometimes they ignore my kids and don’t give them the time of day, and that really frustrates them.
Other then that, I can’t complain, we love the food, the atmosphere, and the décor. Oh, and it is one of the cleaner restaurants that we’ve been to.

*ding* *ding*
i look down at my phone. ooh! a text from the bf. ok… he’s only across the room at his computer… but pictures from him are always a fun treat. what’s this? a dinner reservation? sweet! hot date!
after a little primping and a short drive, we came in for our reservation… but at 8:00 on a sunday night… we… didn’t really need them. we were sat at a roomy booth by the bar. not our first choice, but i think we were one of two, maybe three tables at that point… and the others were on their way out.
our server came over soon after and offered to take our drink orders. we needed a few minutes. well… that and we were having fun taking pictures on our phones. [don’t judge.] i ended up trying the ginger lemon drop. the bf had a double disaronno. my cocktail was pretty good– different from most of the lemon drops i usually have. less sweet.
after more phone paparazzi and noticing how the music would fade in and out, we ordered one each of the bruschetta: roasted cauliflower, capers, lemon… apricot mostarda, salemville blue cheese… roasted red pepper, ricotta… and caramelized fennel, mushrooms, red pepper. my favorite, by far, was the apricot & blue cheese. great pairing. sweet & tangy. yum. i was really looking forward to the cauliflower… but the aftertaste was ridiculously fishy. still a win, though… because blue cheese is a friend of mine again.
after more pictures (now including food!) and more contemplating, we came to a decision on the «main» meal. i decided to shun the «norm» of pizza (which i LOVE) and went for the roasted beets salad, the butternut squash lasagne, and porchetta. the bf ordered the arugula salad, cappelini, and the tuscan skirt steak.
now… there’s an incredibly high percentage that whatever my bf orders, i will wish that i had ordered. i’d be comfortable saying it’s actually pretty much every time we eat out. this time, however, was the blue moon that we all hear about. HOLY CRAP. the butternut squash lasagne was… well… i have no words. every time i try to find words to describe it… my eyes just roll back into my head. it’s like cheese, pasta, pumpkins, and butter got into a big ass multicar pileup and i got to eat the delicious wreckage. MORE. I WANT MORE. yay for going out on a limb!
now, the other dishes were excellent, too. they just didn’t make me want to start growing squash and churning my own butter in attempts to copy this amazing dish. both of the salads were incredibly fresh tasting. and not just «fresh lettuce» fresh, but like the whole dang thing was just made for us. makes hidden valley & kraft want to go cry in the corner. the cappelini had a great comforting flavor, but it wasn’t the weigh-​you-​down-​lets-​put-​fat-​pants-​on comfort. shrimp was good, too… and this is coming from a girl that normally eats her shrimp fried.
how about the steak & porchetta? we couldn’t tell you. we were too full. sooooooooo the meats were boxed up, to be eaten at a later date. BUT! in true don’t-judge-it-till-you-try-it fashion, there was room enough for dessert. uh huh. skipped dinner for dessert. kind of. he ordered the apple bread pudding, and i had the spumoni. apple bread pudding? more like delicious apple-​y cake –pie-​bread slice. and my spumoni… you could tell it wasn’t from albertsons. loaded with pistachios, real cherries NOT drenched in sugar, and delicious chocolate. i couldn’t finish my spumoni loaf, and half of the applebreadpudding is in the fridge with the meats. i hope it’s not getting bullied.
they were very nice about our «late» arrival, i’d like to add. our reservations were for 8, but we didn’t end up leaving until almost 10. yeahhhhh… they close at 9 on sundays. now with that being said, there was a foul odor floating about starting after 9… we were guessing the dishwasher. but i’m not going to judge because we were near the kitchen AFTER they were closed.
oh! i forgot to add– the water (we chose still vs sparkling) was gooood water.
delicious italian close by with nice portions. go.

Our dinner last night was not the typical dining experience. The owner, Armando, a dapper dude who was much younger than I pictured, came over and introduced himself. Cool, but it was surprising that he came back to the table three more times during our meal to chat us up and discuss our dishes. I’m not deducting any stars for this, because service from our waitress was outstanding otherwise — but at the end she inexplicably committed the cardinal sin of picking up our signed tabs before we left the table.
A great menu. Armando really bragged on his head chef, telling us that the chef had designed the menu, down to the fonts and icons. Armando threw in too that his chef had a degree in music.
On the dessert menu was a flourless chocolate cake with a cranberry sauce. Yep, pairing cranberry and chocolate tastes as good as it sounds. Penny remarked to Armando that she thought the cake was «gritty». Armando went back to the kitchen to investigate. He came back to report that the chef had used an electric blender instead of a spoon, and that introduced bubbles to the mix (and hence the alleged grittiness). However, the chef told Armando that she used a blender to make sure that the egg was mixed in thoroughly. Personally, I thought the cake was excellent as served.
The brussel sprouts were heavily hyped, and appeared as part of several dishes. Qualified success was achieved. The sprouts were «shredded» and mixed with other vegetables. The flavor notes were good, but overall, the dish was too oily and too garlicky.
The beet salad with aragula had an exceptionally good vinaigrette. The amuse bouche flatbread had a wonderful texture, with just the right amount of butter and finely sliced onion. If you are into rosemary, you will love this bread. If not, oh well…
For my «primi», I ordered the Bolegnese. This was my favorite dish. Good pasta and good flavors. My «secondi» porchetta was decent. The pork was tender and of a good cut. While the fennel (licorice) flavor in the pork was interesting, I can’t say I was ultra thrilled. Like I told Armando, with my Scandinavian palate, I could be fully satisfied with just salt, pepper, garlic and onion as seasonings. The braised beef in Penny’s Stracato was delicious and extremely tender.
For my dessert I ordered a glass of port and the apple banana bread pudding. Some diners might say that pudding’s crust tasted burnt — and — I’m not a caramel fan, so I could have done with out the caramel sauce that came with it. The cake was plenty moist on its own and really didn’t need any sauce, especially since it came with a great ice cream. I was surprised that the port was chilled (not my preference), but Armando assured me this was a traditional Italian way of serving port.
Prices were reasonable, our cocktails were excellent and the ambience appealing, so we will be back.

If you have any sort of hinkering for dessert… THIS PLACE IS HEAVEN! All I have to say is Salted Caramel Gelato. And at 2 $… you are killing me smalls! We got 2 Salted Caramels, 1 Chocolate, and 1 Pumpkin Spice. The pumpkin was the least fave, oh and we got a Cannoli. So it turned out to be 11 $ and most of us licked our glasses clean. The best thing I heard was from my friend who said, ‘you know what I really hate right now? that I cannot get my spoon to the bottom of this glass!!!’ He had a soup spoon! It was tragic! :):)

This review is really split between a recent lunch and dinner experience. If I were to rate them separately, I’d give 4 stars for lunch and 2 for dinner so I went with a 3 for both. It’s really too bad that both experiences were so disparate. Also, if I had gone for dinner first, I probably wouldn’t have gone back for lunch.
Lunch consisted of lasagna for me and the Sicilian tuna panini for my husband. We both really enjoyed our entrees and were looking forward to returning for dinner at some point. Fast forward a month later. a friend and I took my son to dinner and our experience couldn’t have been more different.
Our dinner server was extremely reserved and not at all friendly. I don’t expect to become best friends with my server but a little warmth goes a long way. Our food was also disappointing. My son and I both ordered the Yukon potato gnocchi with lamb ragu and my friend had the Maccheroni with roasted eggplant. The gnocchi was doughy and the texture was extremely off-​putting. Also, there seemed to be no seasoning whatsoever in the dish. Lamb ragu should NOT be bland. just sayin’. My friend’s eggplant dish was similarly disappointing in regard to seasoning. I guess they were out of salt that day?
I’m bummed because I love Italian food and I’d love to have a sturdy, solid restaurant to frequent. Guess I’ll just have to stick with lunch if we go back in the future. And I’ll bring salt packets with me.

Oh yah! We went, sat in the bar, they were busy. I knew I wanted the beet salad (I sometimes get it at Uwagimaya store in Renton) so I got the beet salad with added chicken– and loved it. So yummy.
My friend had a sandwich/​pressed thing and it was good, a bit heavy on the bread and she really liked the side salad that came with it.
Service was great and the food was very tasty. The bar seemed to have a different feel then the restaurant previously.

(In all honesty, I probably would have said 4 stars, seeing as it’s not like this place is run by Tom Douglas or anything, but because of the cranky I-don’t-like-change-where-is-my-chicken reviewers below, I thought I’d try to balance things out a bit)
The food was good. Our waiter was so (SO) nice, and even though it was a busy Saturday night, he was still very attentive.
Definitely order the oil-​poached tuna bruschetta — holy cow.
The salads are good, and exactly what you’d expect.
I ordered the pasta with sausage and it was both a huge portion and tasty, (even tastier the next day!). Other folks at the table ordered the «Italian Pot Roast» dish that started with an S; the risotto; and the chicken caccitori (I know that’s not spelled correctly). They all liked their food too.
It’s obvious the waiter, owner and staff are committed to making sure you are enjoying your time, and they are going to bend over backward to accommodate any reasonable requests.

I was recently enticed to visit Armondo’s try out the new menu. It now has much more of a focus on using local ingredient that are seasonal. They expect their menu to change several times a year.
The food, experience, and service were all superb! I can’t wait to go back and try something new!

I really wanted to like this place because it’s local, nearby and quaint.
Service was good (1 star)
Food was good (1 star)
Place is ok (1 star)
Their menu is pretty original, unfortunately it misses the usual favorites. The next time I visit I will truly have a hard time finding something I usually enjoy.
Yes, Italian cuisine is full of nuts and raisins and stuff… I prefer the greasy, cheesy, tomatoey, beefy heart attack Matterhorn of a pasta or lasagna ready to kill me in the extasis of the excesses of a Roman orgy.

The Renton Reporter had a story in its August 2, 2010 issue titled «Big changes at Armondo’s Café in downtown Renton». It talked about how long they’ve been around in Renton, and that they’ve hired a new executive chef. Other changes included unveiling a new menu with plans for seasonal menus that change 4 times per year based on what’s in season, just like in Italy. The reporter raved about the lunch menu and called the food «outstanding». We went there for dinner though, and had high expectations based on this article, which were not quite met.
The waitress recommended we start with the Fried Calamari with aioli verde because it was made from the softer more juicier part of the squid and was really good. We tried it, but thought it was just OK. Between my girlfriend and her daughter we then ordered:
— Parmesan Baked Garlic Bread
— Panzanella with tomato, cucumber, croutons, red onion, & pecorino toscano
— Risotto with white shrimp, asparagus, tomatoes, & green onion
Of the these 3, only the garlic bread was really notable. The Panzanella was more croutons than anything and basically came off as a dry bread salad. The Risotto was as bland as a bowl of sloppy grits, and was in dire need of salt, at a minimum, not to mention some basic seasoning. Very unimpressive.
Finally, the secondi or entrées arrived. These included:
— Kobe Skirt Steak with yukon potatoes, asparagus, & pickled onions
— Draper Valley Chicken with balsamic honey, white beans, & broccolini
— Calabrese pizza with pepperoni, mozzarella, capers, & olives
At this point, Armondo’s redeemed themselves somewhat. The Kobe skirt steak was moist, tender, and flavorful. Quite candidly though, it’s pretty hard to screw up a piece of meat that’s already guaranteed to be good by virtue of being Kobe beef. The Draper Valley Chicken was also moist, tender, and flavorful with the balsamic honey providing a hint of BBQ tanginess. The Calabrese pizza was nothing special, but the crust was fluffier than most pizza doughs.
Though a bit overpriced, I agree with Rachel P. below who gave them a solid 3 in her review yesterday. I would go back to try some other things, but I do not believe they lived up to the Renton Reporter’s critique of being «outstanding».

Came in craving pizza, came out slightly disappointed. The pizza was fine, super greasy and loaded with lots and lots of cheese. It wasn’t a good kind of greasy either… We also got the chocolate ice cream desert thing, which wasn’t bad but not that great either. I’m know what I like and what I don’t like and I doubt I will be coming back.
There’s also very minimal lighting in the restaurant (maybe trying to set the mood?) or because we came in around 9pm… haha whichever.

This was a hit and miss spot. My lunch was really good, but my friends weren’t as impressed. Actually, the small appetizer plates with a salad is excellent.
I need to try this spot for dinner. We went at 1:30 and literally had the entire restaurant to ourselves. No crowd midweek!

First timer here… and he likes it.
Food: The soup got the boot and the salad got the pick. And it wasn’t even average I felt. 2 pieces o’ salami, jal (?), great croutons, and some kind of honey-​lime (?) viniagrette. Yummy. My eggplant parmesan had the perfect subtle crunch for light-​breading; just really good despite its simplicity. My first dessert ever in long time was a niice choice: chocolate tartufo. The matte appearance of the cocoa powder coating around the gelato sphere and the inner goodness… my goodness that was nice.
Service: Well-​done. Felt routinely average, but satisfying. All good.
Building: Very nice. Great, and not too-​overly grabbing, design emphasis with «sandwich» colors (ceiling and floor darker than the «middle») and glass art works. Banquet room? Bar? think so & think so. Clean, sharp, and simple b-​rooms and scent.

This was my first experience with «Old Renton».
Went into Armondos last night for a work dinner with my wife and colleagues.
Place seems nice enough inside, service was attentive, and the prices seem very reasonable. Restaurant was pretty empty.
Had beers ($ 4 each for the draughts– good selection of about 6 beers) and a salad to start. Then had a few pizzas for the table. 2 pizzas fed 4 guys and wifey with a couple of slices to spare.
Pizzas were pretty good– nothing to write home about though. There wasn’t anything that really made them memorable (with that said– there was nothing about the pizzas that we didn’t like). They were just A-​OK.
Tables around us mostly ordered pastas– and the servings seemed gigantic.
I did see another table using a
gift certificate– so that might be away to save some money.
Not sure what else is in the area– but I would go back and give this place another shot.

A little light on the Italian…
The food here is decent, but not the most authentic Italian food.
For an independently owned restaurant it sure does taste very chain like. It reminds me of the olive garden.
The sauces are mild and the pastas are OK.
The pizzas are decent here. If you eat here, get a pizza, it will be a better experience than the so called Italian food.
This place is average at best.
Service is great though, and the wait staff are incredibly friendly.

Hmmm… I’ve always been intrigued by the glass balls (balls? intrigued?) in the window of this place and the lovely smells wafting out of the building.
I’d been to Armondo’s for wine (are you seeing a pattern here?), but we finally had dinner here — the bf had worked here in a past life — and we decided to bag cooking and go out to eat instead.
What a great decision! We had tasty tortellini and a chicken parm that was smashing, not to mention GIGANTIC. I had to take half of it home w/​me (I know, I know, what is this world coming to that *I* don’t finish a meal?).
Service was prompt & friendly (helps that the staff knows the bf by name), food was good, space itself pleasant to have a meal in.
Next up: spinach ravioli & a glass of cab. Oh yes, you will be mine.